Falls threaten independence

One in six of Coasties are over 65 years of age, and a third of people in this age group have a fall each year. Up to 20 percent of them end up in hospital with a fracture. We all aspire to live independently – moving out of home into a care facility is reported to be one of the elderly’s greatest fears. That is one reason why a fall, with a subsequent fracture, could change your life in an instant. With falls being such a threat to our independence, it makes sense to identify anything that could lead to this and take steps to prevent them.

Some of the more likely risk factors for falls include: weaker legs, poor balance, eyesight problems, hazards in the environment, nutritional status and side effects from medications.

Exercise builds muscle strength, balance and co-ordination and decreases your risk of falling. To find community classes in our area for older adults go to www.livestronger.org.nz or approach your local gym. The Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre, for example, runs classes to help with balance and strength. If you have a visual impairment you are more likely to fall. Make sure your eyesight is the best it can be by checking in with your optometrist regularly.

Check your home regularly for items that might cause a fall. Ensure there are clear pathways through the home providing easy access to bathrooms and good lighting always helps. With all the wet weather we’ve been having, have slippery concrete areas, accessways and stairs cleaned.

Vitamin D supplementation has been shown to improve bone density and muscle function and could thereby reduce the risk of falls.

Medicines can be a factor in increasing susceptibility to falls. Make sure you have a good pharmacist to help you prevent this! There are several reasons medicines can put you at more risk. Firstly as we age, our bodies respond to medicines differently and often we become more sensitive to side effects. Some medicines can cause you to feel faint or dizzy, whilst others might cause blurry vision or even impair your judgement. Sometimes it is not even a specific medicine causing the side effect but rather an interaction between multiple medicines. Always be careful when you are starting to take a new medicine and ask about potential side effects. Also, check if any of your medicines interact with alcohol as this could make you even more sleepy or affect your balance. If you are taking multiple medicines or are concerned about side effects from your medicines, speak with your pharmacist and review your medicines together.

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